Why did Obi-Wan let Vader kill him?

[Obi-Ben]

I'm sure this has been discussed to death, but I'm going to ask anyway. Why did Obi-Wan let Vader kill him in A New Hope? He seemed to be holding his own against Vader just fine. Was he getting worn down and knew he was going to lose so he just put an end to it in such a way that he would be a force ghost? I don't think he would have done it so he could benefit Luke--I figure he would be a much better trainer if he were alive. And of course Obi-Wan could have easily blown up the Death Star himself. Did he think Vader wasn't going to let him leave and by dying allowed the rest of the party to escape?

[ArkaiHalon]

"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine"

By sacrificing himself, Obi-Wan successfully achieved the following:
1. The rest of the group escaped
2. Provided Luke motivation to continue his Jedi training
3. Destroyed the Deathstar
4. Redeemed Anakin

How did he redeem Anakin? wasn't that Luke?
Obi's sacrifice removed the one remaining "spite" Anakin held on to.
By finally defeating Obi, who was the source of his Hate, Vader had no true ties to bind him to the darkside. He held on, for that's what he knew, but he softened dramatically, as evidinced by his finally turning away and in the end, sacrificing himself to destroy the Emporer. Had Obi remained alive, I don't think he'd have ever been redeemed.

[cardcollector]

"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine"

And,if you remember, he had learned from Qui-gon when on tatooine how to communicate with luke when he was dead.

[Obi-Ben]

And,if you remember, he had learned from Qui-gon when on tatooine how to communicate with luke when he was dead.

But he wasn't really "more powerful." He was just a force ghost. He couldn't do much other than talk.

[B5813]

Look at Obi's face when he's standing before Vader and he looks out to Luke. He kind of smiles when he sees Luke. In my opinion he knows that it's ultimately Luke's destiny to discover who his father is/was and to bring everything to where it ends up being.

[Rhyen Skytracker]

I think Arkai has it right. By making the one sacrifice, he accomplished several task that did make him and the rest of his group stronger, and that was how they destroyed the Death Star and ultimately turned Darth Vader to the light side again.

[Obi-Ben]

Possibly, but I'm not sure Obi-Wan knew that.

[ArkaiHalon]

Possibly, but I'm not sure Obi-Wan knew that.

The look upon his face, the total calm that settled upon him.

He knew.

[Nightwing]

But he wasn't really "more powerful." He was just a force ghost. He couldn't do much other than talk.
But we don't know that. After all, Obi-Wan said on Dagobah that he "could not interfere," as though it was physically possible for him to, but he would not simply out of principle.

Obi-Wan sacrificed himself because LUKE had to be the one to destroy Vader. Obi-Wan was only needed in a guidance capacity, for which he did not need to be alive.
If Obi-Wan had killed Vader, Luke probably would never have become the Jedi he needed to be, and never would have learned the firsthand lessons he needed in order to start the New Jedi Order.

Besides, Obi-Wan was probably going to die of lung cancer in a few weeks anyway. All that Tatooine sand can't be good for you at that age. ;)

[psab keel]

Ultimately if the hero is to succeed in his task, he must lose his mentor in order to gain the courage to complete his quest himself. At the darkest moment the hero must face death by himself.

Obi-Wan was also surrounded by stormtroopers as well as holding Vader off, so it probably made more sense for him to give Luke a chance escape with his friends. That smile that he makes right before he gets cut down is one of my favorite shots in the film. You just can see it all right there. His motivation for Luke's training and the fact that he was ready to become one with the force. I also imagine that he felt a tremendous amount of guilt for what happened to Anakin, despite the fact that it was Anakin who chose to turn to the dark side. I could almost see it as him letting go of his guilt as much as it was sacrificing himself to help Luke and company.

[cannibal869]

Besides, Obi-Wan was probably going to die of lung cancer in a few weeks anyway. All that Tatooine sand can't be good for you at that age. ;)

Silicosis. ;)


from Wikipedia:
Silicosis (also known as Grinder's disease and Potter's rot) is a form of occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust, and is marked by inflammation and scarring in forms of nodular lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs.

Probably wouldn't have killed him, but it would have made him short of breath and he might have gotten TB on top of it. Or any other number of otherworld diseases...

[Swordlord]

Silicosis. ;)
Probably wouldn't have killed him, but it would have made him short of breath and he might have gotten TB on top of it. Or any other number of otherworld diseases...

Acute Tusken phagocytosis

[Rhyen Skytracker]

He figured if he died on the Death Star he wouldn't have to go back to that dreaded hot desert planet he lived on.

[acerocket]

Never under-estimate the power of martyrdom. By making himself a martyr (Obi-wan that is), Luke champions the cause of the Jedi ultimately bringing about the fall of the Empire.

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

Obi-Wans sacrifice had multiple aspects but one that hasn't been mentioned yet is that Obi-Wan knew that even if he killed Vader, OR destroyed the Death Star, that would not restore the Republic, the Jedi Order, or Balance to the Force because the EMPEROR would still be alive to take a new apprentice and in power.

Obi-Wan KNEW that HE couldnt defeat the Emperor...exactly as Yoda said at the temple, before Yoda himself failed in his attempt to do so.

By sacrificing himself - someone who could NOT defeat the Emperor - he brought about the rise of Luke - someone who COULD, by redeeming Vader, which Obi-Wan himself could never do directly because of Vader's hate.

Someone who could restore Balance. And rebuild a New Jedi Order.

And Obi-Wan knew he wouldn't actually die [there is no death, there is the Force"] , because he had learned the "secret Of Immortality" from Qui-Gon as Yoda had ordered him to in his training on Tatooine...so he really had nothing to lose, and EVERYTHING to gain, by becoming One with the Force on the Death Star.

[Obi-Dar Ke-Gnomie]

Well put. I think you've nailed it right there.

[Sethski]

Personally, I think Obi-Wan knew what was going to happen on the Death Star.

I also think that it's apt that Luke learns about attachment, loss and letting go very early on, and that one of the reasons for Ben's "sacrifice" might be as a deliberate lesson in this respect; a lesson he regretfully wasn't able to teach Anakin.

[ArkaiHalon]

I also think that it's apt that Luke learns about attachment, loss and letting go very early on, and that one of the reasons for Ben's "sacrifice" might be as a deliberate lesson in this respect; a lesson he regretfully wasn't able to teach Anakin.


that, my friend, is an awesome thought.

[swear000]

Alzheimer's...he got confused...

[Nightwing]

alzheimer's...he got confused...
HAHAHAHAHA... Niiiiice. :)

[beggarsoutpost]

One reason....He was never going to be able to fight through Vader and all the Stormtroopers and get on board the falcon with out the whole escape being shut down.... of course not knowing that they'ed hid a tracking device on board and were letting them go...He'd been studying with Qui-Gon on Tatooween for 20 years on how to cross over and retain his consciousness...he knew he would be able to continue to council Luke after the fact... I don't think he thought about anything that he was not able to teach Anakin or saw this as an opportunity to teach Luke any kind of lesson...He also took a small amount of perverse pleasure in knowing that Anakin had no idea that his son and daughter were standing right there.....

[Obi-Ben]

Good points. According to the Wookiepedia article on him, Obi-Wan became one with the Force even before Vader's saber hit his robes. So in that sense, Vader didn't even kill him.

As for setting up events to defeat Palpatine, it's kind of funny that he was oh so impossible to defeat, but all Vader/Anakin did to do so was pick him up and throw him down a deep hole. What a weak end for a character that was supposed to be so powerful.

[MasterRoop]

As for setting up events to defeat Palpatine, it's kind of funny that he was oh so impossible to defeat, but all Vader/Anakin did to do so was pick him up and throw him down a deep hole. What a weak end for a character that was supposed to be so powerful.

ya, whats up with that? :confused: you would think that he would go out cooler. like him and yoda had a cool fight.

[ArkaiHalon]

yeah, the end of Palpatine could have been a bit more...more.

But the betrayal, not by his sith apprentice continuing the Sith way, but as his first act of redemption, and reclaiming his name as Anakin Skywalker.

Greatness.

[MasterRoop]

true! thats defiantly a great ending/beginning if you think of the sith ways.

also they probably couldn't do much do to limited computer graphics because of the time.

[Rhyen Skytracker]

Ok, I think we have this topic covered. What is going to be the next one? I really like these kind of topics. They not only let you remember the parts of the movies, they make you think about why they did what they did.

[cardcollector]

Ok, Here's another-

In the battle of darth Maul who should have really won?
I vote Qui-gon all the way! He and Mace windu kinda got cheap deals in the prequels...:(

[Sairon]

Maul should have won! But then obi would have had to chicken out and run away for us to still have a story line.

[MasterRoop]

i wish Qui-Gon had won. i really liked him.

have you seen Taken? thats a great movie! lol! i was joking with some friends. and we were saying how cool he was in that movie. and i said "of course hes so good and cool! he trained Batman AND he's a Jedi. How much cooler can you get!?"

[Rhyen Skytracker]

Ok, what would the storyline be if Qui-Gon or Maul won?

[cardcollector]

Qui gon:
The Jedi council would have crumbled under their code anyway and scince he didn't really follow the council he and Anakin would be the defenders of the galaxy and Mace windu wouldv'e killed Palpatine.:cool:

Darth Maul:
Anakin would have become his apprentice and together they wouldv'e killed the emperor and ruled in his stead.:twisted:

[MasterRoop]

Well if Qui-Gon had won he would have trained Anakin, and i think that Anakin wouldnt have fallen if QuiGon had taught him. Qui-Gon wasnt willing to break any rule, where Obi-Wan would if he had to. so i think that Anakin would have been stronger against the emperor's pull.

[Obi-Ben]

I just wish Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were merged into the same character. Wasn't Obi-Wan originally supposed to be older in the prequels? Tarkin's comment "surely Kenobi must be dead by now" in A New Hope doesn't really make sense if Obi-Wan is only in his late 50's.

[Rhyen Skytracker]

I just wish Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were merged into the same character. Wasn't Obi-Wan originally supposed to be older in the prequels? Tarkin's comment "surely Kenobi must be dead by now" in A New Hope doesn't really make sense if Obi-Wan is only in his late 50's.


People don't live too long on a desert planet with 2 suns.

[ArkaiHalon]

plus the whole Jedi being hunted down and stuff.

[MasterRoop]

i think that Obi-Wan had a pretty hard life as he waited for Luke to grow up.

[rich_d85]

If Obi had won and defeated Vader, the Emperor would find out about Kenobi still being alive and more importantly his new apprentice was the son of Anakin ("The Emperor knew, as I did, that if Anakin were to have any offspring, they would be a threat to him") . Palpitine wouldn't have quit searching until obi was dead and his apprentice, Luke, seduced by the dark side. The distraction of constantly avoiding the empire and there spies would make it near imposable for obi to properly train Luke in the ways of the force. Instead Obi decided to sacrifice himself in order to keep Luke a secret from the Empire and guide him to the last of the Jedi still in hiding, Yoda.

Of cause this didn't exactly go to plan when Luke blew up the death star and gained galactic recognition for himself...

[rich_d85]

I just wish Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were merged into the same character. Wasn't Obi-Wan originally supposed to be older in the prequels? Tarkin's comment "surely Kenobi must be dead by now" in A New Hope doesn't really make sense if Obi-Wan is only in his late 50's.

I think that Tarkin is refering to the great Jedi purge